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Honda Launches Smart Home Project

Right around the same time as Ford and KB Home teamed up to launch a smart home pilot project, Honda launched one of its own — Honda Smart Home US. Solar panels on the home in Davis, CA, will be used to charge a Honda Fit EV.

Aside from the solar panels and EV, the home will include several energy efficiency components, and as a result will use “less than half of the energy of a similarly sized new home in the Davis area for heating, cooling, and lighting.”

Of course, it will also allow for better monitoring and control than a normal home.

Aside from the solar panels, it will include a Honda Energy Management System “that will actively manage energy use and communicate with the homeowner and utility provider, allowing the home to maximize its energy efficiency while responding to the needs of the electrical grid, thereby minimizing the impacts of solar generation and electric vehicle charging on the utility grid;” High-efficiency HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) and Lighting System designed by UC Davis; and other green home goods such a passive design and green building materials.

Also, here’s an interesting component: the PV system will be able to directly charge the EV, avoiding DE-to-AC and AC-to-DC conversions that would result in some efficiency losses.

California apparently has a goal of implementing a requirement to have all new homes to be “net zero energy” by 2020. This project should help to demonstrate that such homes are not only possible, but more practical.

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Zachary Shahan spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as the director/chief editor. Otherwise, he's probably enthusiastically fulfilling his duties as the director/editor of Solar Love, EV Obsession, Planetsave, or Bikocity. Zach is recognized globally as a solar energy, electric car, and wind energy expert. If you would like him to speak at a related conference or event, connect with him via social media.
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Huge energy savings can be achieved with smart passive house design. Start with high performance insulation and add controlled ventilation, using heat exchangers and heat pumps, like the Exhaust Air Heat Pump – Nibe is an example:-

Gosh, I did this on my own years ago… this will help it become more popular though….

MrEnergyCzar

http://www.facebook.com/jhildenminton James Hilden-Minton

I hope this system includes the possibility of retiring your old EV battery to serve as house backup. After 5 to 10 years, an EV owner may want to upgrade the battery for higher performance and range. It will be more economic to do so if the old battery can be put to use for storage.

addicted4444

I think car companies are getting it. But most n portably, it seems to me the auto companies are realizing that they can make a lot of money off clean energy.

The biggest problem with clean energy is storage, and the best solution is many small battery installations across houses. Unfortunately, this is expensive. Car companies, I think are realizing that the most likely way people will pay for batteries is if you put wheels on them, doubling up as their cars (most household’s second largest expense, and largest non-investment expense).

Which means there is a lot of money to be made selling electric vehicles to the world. Once these guys get the wrinkles ironed out, expect the companies which brought us gas guzzlers like Hummers, to be the biggest clean energy proponents. While it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I still cannot wait for that day to arrive ASAP.

http://xeeme.com/MrEnergyCzar MrEnergyCzar

When the power goes out for a week I can heat my home and run my fridge with my Volt…. uses about 2.5 gallons per 24 hours, engine runs about 6 minutes each hour to throw charge back on the battery…

MrEnergyCzar

Bob_Wallace

How many kWh per day?

http://xeeme.com/MrEnergyCzar MrEnergyCzar

The Volt inverter kit can provide 2KWh max constantly but I keep it below that. Fortunately, the fridge and pellet stove surges combined comes in around 1.6KWH so I can run some lamps, modem, laptop etc… the post Fukushima built Leaf’s sold in Japan can probably give up to 3KWh but I’m just guessing on the amount.
MrEnergyCzar

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